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9:09:29 PM Canto: When last we left, you were offered an extremely well paying job by Howard Hughes and his strange associate, Caspar Quentin. 9:11:04 PM Josie: Josie watches Caspar out of the corner of her eye. 9:11:50 PM Canto: You were on the way to hotel rooms arranged for you. Eventually you'll have apartments. You guys and Caspar are piled in a large car and are being driven to the hotel. 9:13:57 PM Canto: Caspar eyes Josie back. 9:14:02 PM Canto: "Problem, Dr. Black?" 9:14:47 PM Hank: Hank is fidgety. 9:16:05 PM Ella: Ella seems oblivious to any Caspar/Josie interaction. "I think this thing's bigger than my entire tent!" 9:16:33 PM Canto: It is indeed a limo! 9:16:55 PM Ella: Horizontally, that is. A car that tall would be amazingly impractical. 9:17:17 PM Josie: No, I'm just... thinking. 9:17:17 PM Canto: Caspar: What did you do in your circus, Miss Burke? 9:17:39 PM Josie: Josie spares a glance at Hank. 9:18:39 PM Hank: Hank frowns a little. 9:21:52 PM Ella: Well I was the medium, so I mostly spat out drivel about how this guy's gonna have a long life, or that chap's gonna be covered in chicks, or that teenager's gonna find twoo wuv. Ya know, telling folks what they want to hear. 9:22:22 PM Ella: And scaring kids. 9:22:31 PM Josie: Not real predictions? 9:22:34 PM Hank: Hank smiles slightly. 9:22:35 PM Canto: Caspar: So not a real medium, then. 9:22:48 PM Ella: Not as far as I know. 9:24:12 PM Josie: I don't think that would be a good power to have anyway. 9:24:53 PM Canto: Caspar: Historically, it's awful. Cassandras never want to be Cassandras. 9:27:16 PM Josie: It seems to lead to... problems. 9:27:17 PM Canto: Caspar: It's not a gift that's easily controllable. Half the time you get visions you don't understand until after the event being predicted has come to pass. 9:27:37 PM Canto: Caspar: And the other half the time, the events being predicted are of no practical import. 9:28:12 PM Canto: Caspar: 'Your favorite soup will be sold out at the diner' is not terribly useful prophecy, as prophecies go. 9:28:58 PM Canto: Caspar: There are cabals that put great stock in prophecy. The Council has found that it's largely a waste of time. 9:29:27 PM Hank: What exactly are we going to be expected to do, sir? 9:30:37 PM Josie: And how does Mr. Hughes benefit from it? 9:31:11 PM Ella: And can we get hot chocolate afterwards? 9:31:22 PM Canto: Caspar: ... you need to stop with that. I'm not in the damn military. And I find myself already irritated by it. Anyway. Your mandate will be investigative, primarily. We'll send you into areas where we know there to be an issue of some kind. You will find out what you can about said issue. This may or may not include resolving the issue in some way. 9:32:37 PM Josie: They're taught to call civilians sir and ma'am, aren't they? It's not a rank, just... courtesy. 9:34:44 PM Canto: Caspar: The Council is powerful back in Europe, but our influence here in the states is rather limited by geography and history. We have backers from the mundane world we work with. Hughes is one of them. He's working closely with many of our more technically inclined members on new innovations. He's already got a patent on a form of lighter-than-air dirigible powered by something far less volatile that hydrogen. 9:35:44 PM Josie: Which is, essentially, anything.... 9:39:59 PM Canto: Caspar: Yes. 9:40:35 PM Canto: Caspar lights a cigarette. It's 1936, cigarettes are good for you! But he does open a nearby window. 9:40:37 PM Josie: ... I don't see how Mr. Hughes would make money from us. I don't use my ability lightly. 9:40:56 PM Josie: Josie wrinkles her nose; she's the oddity of the day that actually does not like smoking much. 9:41:18 PM Hank: Hank looks a little relieved and lights his own! (but also rolls down a window) 9:42:07 PM Canto: Caspar: He's not making money off your actions. He's benefitting from your investigations. The more investigators working stateside, the safer the people here are. He's a good man. And a philanthropist. 9:42:29 PM Josie: Josie smiles. 9:42:34 PM Ella: Ella 's carny-senses tell her to shrink down to get away from the smoke. 9:42:48 PM Josie: I know. Sorry, I have to admit I was trying to get a reaction there. 9:43:52 PM Canto: Caspar: His relationship with the Council is already pretty profitable on both ends. 9:44:24 PM Josie: I like his movies. 9:45:28 PM Canto: Caspar: Really? I don't care for them. Scarface was far too violent for my taste. 9:46:38 PM Canto: Caspar takes out a notebook and a pen from his jacket. "So. Any of you have any kind of self-defense training?" 9:47:11 PM Hank: Yessi-- ...I have. 9:48:18 PM Canto: Caspar looks at Josie and Ella! 9:48:30 PM Josie: No. 9:48:48 PM Josie: ... but I think I can defend myself against an ordinary person. 9:49:08 PM Canto: Caspar: Of course you can. It's not the ordinary people we worry about. 9:49:53 PM Canto: Caspar: It's the other people. 9:49:59 PM Ella: Olaf taught me how to properly throw a punch, but that might be different for a skinny kid than it is for a giant bear-man. 9:50:24 PM Ella: Not a literal bear-man, of course. 9:50:34 PM Canto: Caspar: Stevenson. That cane just a cane? 9:50:35 PM Ella: I think. 9:50:54 PM Hank: ...yes. Why would it be something else? 9:51:12 PM Canto: Caspar writes something in his notebook! "Could be a sword." 9:51:32 PM Hank: I usually have a false leg, sir. I need it to walk. 9:52:03 PM Canto: Caspar: You might need it to stab on occasion, too. No worries. I'll get you sword-cane. 9:52:23 PM Josie: Maybe we ought to ask the technically-inclined member for something better. 9:52:33 PM Canto: Caspar: Self defense training. I'll schedule some sessions with Sensei Ping. 9:53:08 PM Hank: Hank frowns. 9:53:53 PM Canto: Caspar: Technically-inclined member? 9:56:30 PM Josie: The one you mentioned with the patents. 9:57:30 PM Canto: Caspar: Oh. Well, we can definitely arrange a more advanced prosthetic if you're willing, Stevenson. 9:58:43 PM Hank: Maybe. I'm kind of hoping I get to keep this one, honestly. 10:00:22 PM Canto: Caspar: as long as it's not evil. I would be concerned if it was something you asked for and were given -- by your account, it was a completely un-asked for gift on their part freely given. That clears you of any metaphysical occult debt. 10:00:41 PM Hank: Wouldn't've known to ask for it, sir. 10:01:31 PM Canto: Caspar: Right. I'm not terribly concerned about it. Though it might not stick around once Leviathan realizes you chose a different path. 10:01:48 PM Hank: Hank nods. 10:03:18 PM Josie: Debt would be... bad. 10:04:49 PM Canto: Caspar: Right. Read any account of Fae and that will give you a good idea what I'm talking about. 10:05:48 PM Josie: Imprisoned in a hill for a hundred years? 10:06:06 PM Josie: Wasting away from starvation while eating imaginary food? 10:06:13 PM Hank: Hank frowns again and takes a long pull of his cigarette. 10:07:00 PM Canto: Caspar: Yeah. Official policy on the Fae: Leave them the fuck alone and get the fuck away. Accept nothing, do not engage. 10:07:06 PM Canto: Caspar: Pardon the language, ladies. 10:07:20 PM Ella: Ella shrugs 10:07:39 PM Canto: Caspar: But that is the offical rule. "Leave them the fuck alone". 10:09:08 PM Josie: ... understandable. 10:09:27 PM Canto: Caspar: Not really an issue in the colonies, though. They stick to France and the UK. The native spirits here didn't take to them. Big war. 10:09:43 PM Hank: Hmph. 10:09:59 PM Canto: Caspar: So. What were you guys? You've had the dreams, right? 10:11:06 PM Josie: ... everyone gets them? 10:13:14 PM Canto: Caspar nods. "Yeah. Well. All of us with powers. I was a pagan sorceror, apparently." 10:13:31 PM Canto: Caspar: Prevailing theory is that's what makes us what we are. 10:14:04 PM Canto: Caspar: In some previous life, we got exposed to some massive source of magical power. Infuses the soul, keeps the soul in the world to keep getting reborn. 10:14:14 PM Josie: I was a priestess in Egypt. ... until someone invaded my temple and killed me. 10:15:32 PM Hank: Think mine were just of a soldier of some sort, looking through the jungles. Looked kinda like Panama or Peru or somethin'. 10:17:11 PM Ella: I was a shaman lady in Mongolia! Life was good! Until some crazy westerners came to invade my village and take over the nearby ruins. Greedy westerners, you've already got your sorcery, leave my majjykks alone! 10:17:28 PM Ella: Ella comically shakes her fist. 10:18:03 PM Canto: Caspar: Hmm. Yeah, the scholars' theory is that our souls get exposed to a major source of magical power. Usually places. Sometimes objects. 10:18:52 PM | Edited 10:19:04 PM Canto: Caspar: Not provable right now, though. The Council doesn't forbid all necromancy, but soul dissection is definitely on the red list. 10:18:53 PM Josie: Maybe Mr. Stevenson met the Aztecs. 10:19:42 PM Canto: Caspar: Or the Mayans. Both were civilizations with their feet in the door of the magical world. 10:20:07 PM Josie: Josie nods. 10:20:35 PM Hank: Couldn't tell you, sir. 10:22:06 PM Canto: Caspar: A common theme of most of these dreams is the invaders, though. This would all be rather academic if not for them. They're always pale european types. Kind of... proto-vikings. 10:24:23 PM Josie: Which didn't fit the location or the time period. 10:25:38 PM Hank: Can't say I saw any of those. Felt like *I* was the invader. 10:28:14 PM Canto: Caspar nods. "Could be. The dreams don't stop. You'll likely have more. They get stronger. Make notes of what you see." 10:28:43 PM Canto: The limo stops outside the hotel. "Here we are. Come on, I'll see you inside." 10:29:02 PM Josie: Josie nods, and doesn't wait for him to open the car door for her, but hops out herself. 10:29:58 PM Hank: Hank follows. 10:30:58 PM Canto: He flags down a valet to get any luggage out of the trunk. "So. I have you down for some self defense training. Any of you know how to use a firearm?" 10:31:07 PM Hank: Yessir. 10:31:15 PM Hank: I'll get mine, thanks. 10:31:33 PM Hank: Hank reaches in to pull out a large white duffle bag that he hoists up on his shoulder. 10:33:21 PM Hank: Pistol, rifle, and .30 cal machine guns. Never qualified on the fifty-cals. 10:33:25 PM Josie: Josie doesn't carry her luggage! Women don't *do* that in this time period. 10:33:56 PM Josie: I can fire a handgun. 10:34:58 PM Canto: Nope! That's what bellhops are for. Caspar nods. "All right. We're not sending you out into the field for a couple weeks at least, not until you're ready." 10:36:56 PM Josie: I don't usually carry one, though. 10:39:36 PM Hank: Wouldn't think you'd need to, ma'am. 10:40:12 PM Josie: ... well, no, not really. I could probably stop someone from harming me if I had to. 10:42:02 PM Canto: Caspar: WEll. I'll see that you're properly armed for dangerous situations. Any questions or requests on your end? 10:42:43 PM Hank: No, sir. I don't think so. 10:44:14 PM Josie: I assume the move will be paid for and arranged for. 10:44:32 PM Josie: I'd like enough space for my books. 10:45:10 PM Canto: Caspar: Of course. We're still working on the building -- Howard bought it, and it will have state of the art security and wards. 10:46:10 PM Hank: Don't bother sendin' someone for me. I have everything I need right here. 10:47:41 PM Canto: Caspar: You don't have an apartment? Furniture? Possessions? 10:47:44 PM Ella: Same. 10:48:29 PM Hank: Was rentin' a place with a bed by the week. If it don't fit in my seabag, I don't need it. 10:50:31 PM Josie: ... I suppose you don't have families either. 10:50:42 PM Canto: Caspar: You'll need clothes. 10:50:43 PM Hank: Got family back in Iowa. 10:51:04 PM Ella: You're from Iowa, too? 10:51:21 PM Hank: Hank nods. 10:52:00 PM Ella: Did you ever meet a guy named Heimdall? 10:52:04 PM Hank: And, well... most of this bag is full of clothing. 10:52:12 PM Hank: Can't say I did. 10:52:50 PM Ella: Aw. 10:53:15 PM Canto: Caspar: You'll occasionally have to attend formal events. 10:53:46 PM Hank: Hank frowns a bit. "Don't get much fancier than this." 10:54:01 PM Josie: I'm sure Mr. Hughes will buy you a suit. 10:54:31 PM Hank: Sure I can afford it with the kind of pay he's offering. 10:54:39 PM Hank: Just not real familiar with it is all. 10:54:50 PM Josie: ... and depending on the event, he'll have to buy me a dress too. I'm set up perfectly well for faculty dinners and posh fundraisers, but not a Hollywood premiere. 10:55:35 PM Canto: Caspar: I'm sure you can work out those details with Howard. let's see. Any other requests of the Council? 10:56:58 PM Ella: Information. As much as you're comfortable sharing with a trio of misfits like us. 10:57:39 PM Canto: Caspar: You'll have to be a lot more specific. 10:59:28 PM Josie: I'd like to meet others. 10:59:56 PM Hank: ...are we going to be a team or will we be with others? 11:00:07 PM Ella: Do I? I want to know everything. I want to know this dizzy nightmare parade inside and out. 11:00:22 PM Canto: Caspar: It will be the three of you. 11:00:34 PM Canto: Caspar: I recommend you get to know each other. 11:00:36 PM Josie: Josie smiles. 11:00:38 PM Hank: Hank makes a little bit of a face. 11:00:59 PM Josie: ... something wrong, Mr. Stevenson? 11:01:11 PM Canto: Caspar: Narrow it down from *everything*. I don't have all day. I'll send you some reading on Council history. 11:01:18 PM Hank: ....no, ma'am. 11:02:07 PM Josie: What wouldn't Mr. Hughes want you to tell us? 11:02:58 PM Canto: Caspar: If there was something he didn't want to tell you, why would I tell you? 11:03:04 PM Ella: I don't expect you to tell me personally, I'm not that arrogant. Maybe just point out which sources are credible and what is straight-up quackery. 11:03:59 PM Josie: Because you think we should know. Or because it might help. Or because Mr. Hughes is an alien fish creature inhabiting a human meatsack. 11:04:09 PM Josie: ... he's not, but. 11:04:28 PM Hank: Hank shifts his weight to his own leg. 11:05:08 PM Canto: Caspar: The short version - every myth. Every story. Every made-up monster hiding in a closet or under a bed or hiding in the darkness. It's all true, to varying degrees. I've talked with Yetis in their Tibetan monestaries. I was part of a fairly disastrous expedition to the Hollow Earth. 11:05:48 PM Canto: Caspar: There's a race of super-intelligent gorillas that live on Madagascar. Fine chaps, but they cheat at cards. 11:06:19 PM Canto: Caspar: There are wonders and horrors out there. 11:06:21 PM Hank: .....this hotel have a bar? 11:06:49 PM Canto: Caspar points! 11:07:02 PM Ella: So... consider that all things could be both true and untrue, and attempt to decide which is which as you go? 11:07:08 PM Josie: ... what are the yetis like? 11:07:59 PM Canto: Caspar: Wise. Masters of mental magics. You'd learn a lot from them. I'll see if I can't get you some of their texts, Dr. Black. 11:08:22 PM Canto: Caspar nods at Ella. "Pretty much." 11:10:16 PM Josie: ... I would like that very much, Mr. Quentin. 11:15:59 PM Canto: He nods, and smiles. "I'll let you get settled in, then. Maybe get some dinner, the restaraunt here is killer." He hands you each some money. "Consider this a downpayment on your first paycheck." 11:16:17 PM Hank: ....thank you, sir. 11:16:26 PM Canto: Fifty dollars each! 11:16:28 PM Josie: Josie nods. 11:16:37 PM Josie: Thank you. 11:16:50 PM Josie: ... I'd quite like dinner. 11:17:06 PM | Edited 11:17:11 PM Canto: Caspar: Take it easy. Howard will send a car over in the morning. 11:18:32 PM Hank: ((what time is it, about?)) 11:18:35 PM Josie: Good. 11:18:43 PM Canto: ((At this point? Four or five.)) 11:22:04 PM Hank: Hank glances at Caspar to see if he's intending to leave or go to dinner. 11:22:23 PM Canto: He's headed back to the car! 11:22:42 PM Hank: Hank frowns. 11:22:52 PM Canto: Unless you stop him. 11:22:58 PM Hank: ((nope, lol)) 11:23:08 PM Josie: Josie waves. 11:23:16 PM Josie: Good evening, Mr. Quentin... 11:23:26 PM Hank: Suppose it wouldn't be right to leave you two ladies unaccompanied. 11:24:56 PM Josie: That's very gallant. 11:25:02 PM Josie: To dinner, then? 11:25:08 PM Hank: If you like, ma'am. 11:26:46 PM Josie: I'd like that. You can both tell me what you think of all this. ... and it might be safer to stay together, too. 11:27:03 PM Canto: So, to dinner! They have a very nice restaraunt. 11:27:10 PM Canto: Don't fill up on bread. 11:27:29 PM Hank: Hank feels incredibly out of place, especially with his bag on his shoulder. 11:27:48 PM Josie: You should ask a bellhop to bring that to your room. 11:27:50 PM Josie: Josie smiles. 11:28:08 PM Canto: Yeah, I figured you guys were going to dinner *after* going to your rooms and putting your stuff in there. 11:28:24 PM Hank: ((lol I suppose that'd make sense)) 11:28:56 PM Josie: ((Okay, we do that!)) 11:29:17 PM Josie: Josie absolutely does wait for Hank to pull out her chair for her, though. Because that's still a thing. 11:29:27 PM Hank: Hank still feels out of place. 11:29:44 PM | Edited 11:30:38 PM Hank: Hank also definitely pulls out chairs for both the ladies because he's that kind of guy. At least outwardly. 11:30:56 PM Josie: Josie nods her thanks and peers at the menu. 11:31:27 PM Josie: I'm not really taking this nearly as well as it seems. It's a little terrifying. And I'm angry at the Order for not mentioning they're unsanctioned. 11:31:47 PM Hank: Hank also looks at the menu and tries to find something he thinks he's had before. 11:32:13 PM Josie: .... though I don't think I'm cut out for being a nun, either. I like clothes and shoes and good wine and .... worldly things. 11:32:16 PM Hank: Religious then, ma'am? 11:32:28 PM Josie: I'm Catholic. 11:32:56 PM Canto: It's all pretty standard fair. Steaks. Fish. 11:33:29 PM Hank: ......you're not gonna be rootin' around in my brain are you? 11:34:12 PM Josie: ... not unless you display some sort of aberrant behavior. I... felt around the edges some to make sure you were a person, that's all. 11:34:37 PM Hank: Hank frowns. 11:35:39 PM Josie: Nothing that would... it's like sniffing to make sure you don't smell like death, really. That's all. 11:37:05 PM Hank: ...I'd prefer it if you didn't "sniff" me either, ma'am. 11:38:18 PM Josie: I don't need to now, it's done. You're a person, not a... thing in disguise. 11:39:15 PM Hank: Hank reaches for the ashtray and lights another cigarette (assuming there's one there, anyway) 11:39:39 PM Canto: Yep! 11:40:41 PM Josie: So are Mr. Hughes and Mr. Quentin, and Miss Burke. 11:41:28 PM Hank: Is it... do you hear everything or do you have to try? 11:41:34 PM Josie: I have to try. 11:41:41 PM Josie: ... and I don't, usually. 11:41:46 PM Josie: It almost never helps. 11:41:55 PM Josie: And people are *much* more irrational and silly than you want to think. 11:42:50 PM Hank: Haven't had a lot of privacy in my life. I'd like to keep my head to myself at least. 11:43:48 PM Josie: Josie nods. 11:44:00 PM Josie: I haven't read anybody's mind since I got here. 11:45:09 PM Hank: Can't say I've ever met a woman doctor. Just nurses. 11:46:08 PM Josie: Oh, it's not that kind of doctorate! It's an academic degree. I'm... I *was* a professor. I studied history, specializing in the occult. 11:47:02 PM Hank: ...but this all surprises you? 11:48:01 PM Josie: That it's real, yes. 11:48:16 PM Josie: ... I thought I was the only one, you see. 11:48:39 PM Hank: Oh. So you knew, then. 11:49:04 PM Josie: Josie nods. 11:51:09 PM Hank: I didn't start noticing things until my accident. Thought I was just goin' crazy or somethin'. 11:51:19 PM Josie: ... what happened? 11:51:40 PM Hank: Lost my leg. 11:53:20 PM Josie: That's the end of the story. 11:54:02 PM Hank: 's not exactly dinner conversation, ma'am. 11:54:27 PM Josie: Good thing we haven't ordered yet. 11:55:57 PM Ella Burke: Ella Burke has been abnormally quiet, based on her previous demeanor. She looks a bit shell-shocked. 11:57:20 PM Hank: Hank takes a long pull on his cigarette. "Well, we were rigging a new pump down the ladderwell to replace one that had gone nipples to the---" 11:57:32 PM Hank: Sorry, ma'am. It had busted. 11:58:07 PM Josie: Josie squelches a smile. 11:58:31 PM Hank: I saw the line start to slip, and Frenchie, this new guy, not twenty yet, he's standing right under the da-- the pump, just skylarkin'. 11:58:57 PM Hank: I pushed him out of the way, but it caught me just above the ankle. Shattered most of my lower leg. 11:59:26 PM Hank: Best they could do on the boat was a tourniquet and pain meds. By the time I got to a real doc, they couldn't save much. 11:59:32 PM Josie: Josie nods. AM Hank: Sent me out to Crippler- Tripler- out in Hawaii, then back to San Diego for my discharge papers. That was about a week ago. AM Hank: ..maybe two now. AM Josie: ... you're still getting used to it. AM Hank: The leg? Yes, ma'am. I lost it almost three months ago. AM Hank: Only had five months left 'fore I coulda walked off the boat for good. AM Josie: Josie nods. AM Josie: I just thought everyone could do it and just didn't. For a long time. AM Hank: When'd you start? If you don't mind my askin'. AM Josie: I don't remember not being able to do it. AM Josie: But maybe it was pretend when I was little. AM Hank: Bet it was hard not to try to get answers from your teachers. AM Josie: Why would I get answers from them? AM Hank: Hank shrugs. "Easier? Don't care much for the subject?" AM Josie: I studied. AM Hank: History, you said? Never been much of a fan of it. AM Josie: Josie nods. AM Josie: It's not for everyone. And it's not very useful. AM Hank: Heh. At least you know that. AM Hank: Had one teacher back in school. Old Irish lady. Acted like history was the most important thing in life. AM Josie: You *can* learn a lot from it. AM Josie: But it's not as immediately useful as, say, being able to hotwire a car. AM Hank: She'd start warmin' up her chalk hand and we'd all moan. "Quitcherbellyachin'!" AM Josie: I try to include lots of violence and sex in my lectures. It helps students pay attention. AM Hank: ....s'pose that'd work. AM Hank: Hank kind of eyes her a little. AM Josie: ... what? AM Hank: Just don't seem... appropriate. AM Josie: Well, this is 1936! Welcome to the modern world, Mr. Stevenson.